Those new Ferrari Dino rumors probably aren't true

A sub-488 GTB Ferrari powered by a twin-turbo V6? Sounds too good to be true. And it probably is.

The rumormill has been busy today as word spread that an entry-level Ferrari is being brewed in Maranello. After scratching our heads, and then picking our brains, we compared notes on what we've heard and what we know, and came to a different conclusion. Senior Editor Jason Cammisa makes it his job to know what others don't, and this particular tidbit doesn't ring true.

So Jason, will Ferrari create a downsized, "entry-level" car?

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

They already have – it's called the California. I doubt we'll see something like a Dino, and here's why: In Geneva, Sergio Marchionne was asked if there would be a four-door model coming to the brand. After saying "no", he said this: "The cars within the portfolio will change, but the structure of the portfolio will not."

That means we will retain this basic structure:

Suburbanite dream Ferrari: California T

Mid-engine sports car : 488 GTB

V12 GT : F12berlinetta

Four-seater: FF

Megacrazy thing : LaFerrari

The crux of everything Ferrari said at Geneva was that the company would defend the V12 as long as it could, but it would "not be a significant part of the portfolio as it was before FCA." Basically, they have to shift the model mix in favor of the smaller V8 because of emissions: "Because of the spinoff, Ferrari will not be subject to the aggregation rules" for CO2 output.

Most Popular

Essentially, the V12 will stick around, but its role will be diminished. Expect the F12berlinetta to keep it, and maybe the LaFerrari. But I'd expect the FF's replacement to go V8.

Everyone's a bit nervous that Marchionne is about to dramatically change things at Ferrari. But I'd bet there'd be a mutiny long before anyone at Ferrari puts a V6 into the 488's successor, and I doubt Marchionne would want to destroy a decades-long lineage of V8-powered mid-engine sports cars. But the California? It has no provenance. It has no history. It's a means to an end, a point of entry for new Ferrari customers.

Ferrari

Ferrari doesn't seem to care much for the California. I mean, Marchionne actually used the words "For that car, it's good enough" (talking about the turbo's uninspiring engine noise). The engineers I've spoken with certainly don't seem to consider the original California a Ferrari (it was supposed to be a Maserati, after all), and though it's a far better car in its current form, I don't see anyone crying over the California one way or another.

So combining what Marchionne said about the structure not changing (and his desire to keep volume low, so he says), I don't see Ferrari introducing a new model. Instead, I see them doing whatever they can to reduce their CO2 average. And that means putting the most fuel-efficient engines in the highest-volume cars.